SACRAMENTO, CA – U.S. House Majority Whip Kevin McCarthy today congratulated Frank Bigelow (AD-5) and Dr. Matthew Lin (AD-49) for advancing to California’s general election. Bigelow and Lin are the first Trailblazers enrollees to earn “Pathfinder” status, the first of three levels of the program.

“Frank and Matthew earned well-deserved victories last night and after more Trailblazers training will be even stronger in the general election,” said McCarthy. “And Matthew winning over 50% in a majority Democrat district shows that we’re playing offense in every type of race.”

Frank Bigelow, Assembly District 5, is a rancher, volunteer firefighter, and Madera County Supervisor. He also has served on the Madera District Fair Board, the Madera Ag Boosters Boardof Directors, California Shorthorn Breeder’s Association Board of Directors and the Madera County Cattleman’s Association Board of Directors. He served as a leader in the Spring Valley 4-H Club and is a strong supporter of the Future Farmers of America. In keeping with family tradition, he has continued to raise champion registered Shorthorn cattle and champion registered Columbia Sheep,and is a member of the Yosemite Lakes Community Church and Madera County Farm Bureau.

Dr. Mathew Lin, Assembly District 49, is an orthopedic surgeon and was the first Asian American elected to the San Marino City Council, serving as Mayor in 2003, 2006, and 2007. Lin has served on the boards of the San Marino Schools Foundation, San Marino Community Church Foundation, San Francisco Theological Seminary, United Way, Pasadena Symphony, Pacific Asia Museum, and The Taiwan Center. He founded the Pacific Orthopedic Medical Center, co-founded the Pacific Independent Physician Association, and formed the AHMC Cancer Center in Monterey Park to provide early diagnosis and treatment for patients with cancer. Lin is an active member of the Los Angeles County Medical Reserve Corps, which prepares for Los Angeles County disaster relief, and has led international relief efforts to Taiwan, El Salvador, Sri Lanka,Bolivia, Malawi, Mexico, Africa, China, and Haiti.

The mission of California Trailblazers is to recruit, train and advise a new generation of fiscally conservative leaders to win legislative seats in 2012 and beyond. California Trailblazers is modeled after the National Republican Congressional Committee’s successful Young Guns program.

With new district lines and an open primary, the California Republican leadership is taking action to capitalize on California’s unique political landscape. California Trailblazers is training candidates and requiring them to meet specific benchmarks to graduate through three different levels of the program.

Similar to the Young Guns program, once candidates meet metrics specifically designed for their race, they will advance to “Pathfinder,” “Rising Star,” and ultimately “Trailblazer.” These goals will focus on campaign infrastructure, grassroots support, fundraising, and more.

In addition to the rigorous goals set by the three-tier framework, the California Trailblazer program provides resources of ongoing education and training for candidates to learn campaign fundamentals. Throughout the campaign cycle, the California Trailblazersprogram will provide ongoing education through fundraisers, coalition-building experts, media training and issue briefings give candidates the tools they need to win.

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We are offering an upcoming candidate school in spring of 2015!

GOP electoral strategy making headway

Minutes after the polls closed on Election Day, pundits raced to explain why specific candidates won or lost, whether by a handful of votes, or a landside. There were a few big surprises where supposedly "safe" Democrat seats were lost to Republican challengers. Those who suggest these victories were a fluke of some sort, doom themselves to lose again.